Rickie Fowler paid tribute to the late Payne Stewart by dressing like the 1999 U.S. Open champion on the first day of the 2014 U.S. Open at Pinehurst. / Kevin Liles, USA TODAY Sports

by Christine Brennan, USA TODAY Sports

by Christine Brennan, USA TODAY Sports

LOUISVILLE - Rickie Fowler used to be the kid in all orange with the long hair and the funny hats. Then came this year's Masters. He tied for fifth. And the U.S. Open. Tied for second. And the British Open. Another tie for second.

No one else has played so well in the year's first three major championships.

Is first place at the PGA Championship next? If so, the 25-year-old Fowler is about to be all grown up.

With one round to go, Fowler stands at 11-under par after a 4-under 67 on Saturday, two strokes behind 25-year-old Rory McIlroy and one behind European Tour player Bernd Wiesberger, 28,from Vienna, Austria.

Fowler birdied all three par-5s, nearly eagling the final one, the 18th, missing a 39-foot putt by an inch. He played so solidly tee to green that a bogey never seemed to be on his radar screen.

"It sounds like a cliché, but the key is patience, just going shot-by-shot," Fowler said after his round. "I hit it very well on the back nine but didn't get a whole lot out of it, but I'm right in the mix. It was a very clean round of golf and I'm in a great spot."

So, it seems, is everybody else. What a leaderboard it is. Right behind Fowler is 44-year-old Phil Mickelson, who obviously is old enough to be the father of some of these players. Mickelson birdied four of the last five holes to reach 10-under, where he was joined by 26-year-old Jason Day in a tie for fourth. In all, 18 players are within six shots of each other at the top of the leaderboard heading into Sunday's final round.

It's certainly no surprise that Fowler is one of them. He is brimming with a new-found confidence, buttressed considerably by his eight-month-long working relationship with golf coach-to-the-stars Butch Harmon.

In a phone conversation last December, Fowler couldn't have been more honest with Harmon.

"I want to be known more for my golf than my clothes and my hat," he said. "I want to contend in majors."

Mission accomplished.

This year, Fowler is a cumulative 29-under par in the majors so far. McIlroy, who won the British Open three weeks ago, stands at 24-under.

Fowler now is chasing McIlroy for a second major in a row. Fowler and McIlroy played together in the final round of the British Open, and have practiced together at home in Florida.

"It's been fun," Fowler, who is five months older than McIlroy, said of their budding rivalry. "I look forward to growing the friendship and also growing the rivalry between us. I know it's going to be fun to be able to do stuff together, but also try and beat up on each other at the same time."

McIlroy might be younger, but so far, he has greatly outperformed Fowler, winning three majors to Fowler's none.

"It's tough," Fowler said. "Guys are playing well right now. I have to just keep going through the process and focus on hitting every golf shot."

This is a new role for Fowler: the workmanlike, process-driven professional. Yet even in this stellar year, he has given us some Rickie moments. The best by far was his tribute to Payne Stewart at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, where Stewart won in 1999, four months before his death in a plane crash.

Before the first round of the Open, Fowler walked in dressed like Stewart: white knickers, a blue shirt and matching argyle socks. When Mickelson gave him a thumbs-up, Fowler knew his efforts were a success.

In some ways, he's still a big kid. Fowler's final piece of preparation for the PGA was as a caddie for his sister in a fun, nine-hole match. The opponent? Sergio Garcia's girlfriend, with Garcia on the bag. Fowler was the winning caddie.